


The Chronicles of Julie and her Ghost boys arc 1

by NJ94



Series: The Chronicles of Julie and her Ghost boys [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex Mercer Has Anxiety (Julie and the Phantoms), All the Boys Parents Suck, Bisexual Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby is Just Really Screwed up, F/M, Fluff, How Do I Tag, M/M, Mentioned Caleb Covington, Mentions of Cancer, Mentions of homophobia, More tags to be added, Post-Canon, Ray is the best dad ever, Reggie Peters Has ADHD (Julie and The Phantoms), Slight divergence from cannon, Some Plot, The boys slowly coming back to life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28651404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NJ94/pseuds/NJ94
Summary: First time Writing Julie and the Phantoms. First time posting on AO3. My version of season 2.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Series: The Chronicles of Julie and her Ghost boys [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2112783
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a group of one-shots but I realized that this is not just a group of connected one-shots this is a story so I did a little fiddling and this was born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started as a group of one-shots but I realized that this is not just a group of connected one-shots this is a story so I did a little fiddling and this was born.
> 
> It starts with what happens directly after they all hug. I also changed the Julie and Nick scene a bit cause, I felt like I needed to close that door so I had them have a conversation before Caleb did his whole possession thing.
> 
> Also I have been working on this since the beginning of November and currently have 19 chapters ready for go out I'm thinking I will update once or twice a week.

"I can feel you," Julie smiled, it's the third or fourth time she's said it since they broke apart from Alex's requested second hug, and subsequent dance party. They sit on the couch now, and every time she says it one of them will squeeze her hand just to make sure. "We have to figure this out," she added with a sigh she had a lot to figure out tonight. That's when she remembered she still had to go talk to Carlos. "You know what I forgot to tell you in all the whatever this is" she gestured to where Luke's very welcome arms were wrapped around her shoulders. "My brother wants to talk, I think he's figured it out," she added.

"Yeah he was in here earlier before the performance, he acted like he knew we were here he called us boy band, and then he did this thing," Luke duplicated the motion of his fingers to his eyes and then pointing them outward. "Except he pointed completely off," Luke Explained. 

"If he hadn't been completely off I would have sworn he could see us," Reggie added in.

"When was he in here?" She asked.

"Right after you left but before Caleb came to torture us some more," Alex said. By this point, they had explained why they had been late about Caleb kidnapped, and torturing them some more before eventually, her voice called them, and then they, managed to get away. They were choosing to believe that Julie's power as their friend had been stronger than Caleb's control over them. 

"It was like your voice summoned us," Alex had recalled. 

"I focused on the sound of your voice and then when I saw your face I was finally able to make it," Luke had admitted.

"I'm gonna go talk to him OK and we will figure this out in the morning, promise," she said. For once Alex wasn't panicking but she was pretty sure he was just in shock and definitely was going to be later. Julie was also quick to text Flynn and let her know that the boys were OK but hadn't moved on, and asking her to come by the next day to explain everything.

When she went in, Carlos was sitting on the couch and the shower was running upstairs so she knew they would have some privacy, Carlos spoke first.

"Are the guys in your band ghosts?" He asked outright. All she could do was nod silently, she didn't expect her brother to cheer, but he did. "That's so awesome, can I meet them?" He asked.

"Well they aren't visible unless we are singing," she tells him "I mean I can see them" she stutters off and finally says "sure why not tomorrow after dinner," Carlos nods excitedly and is about to run off to bed when she stops him. She carefully explained to him that he couldn't go blabbing about it.

"I understand," he murmured although he clearly didn't like it.

"You could put them and me in danger if anyone we couldn't trust found out" she explained again. He nodded and ran off to bed.

Julie isn't sure how she managed to sleep with everything else going on but as the high of their performance left her all that remained was utter exhaustion from all that had happened in the last week.

*The next morning*

Nick rang the doorbell he, held a bouquet of flowers Julie had left pretty soon after the performance and he hadn't been able to give them to her the night before, he hoped she would consider going on a date with him. She had said no but that didn't mean he wasn't gonna keep asking, that had been until he saw her with the other boy, he wasn't sure what his name was only that he lived on the other side of the world. But he brought her the flowers anyway that's what you're supposed to do as a fan, right? That's what Carrie had always demanded he did, OK maybe Carrie was a bad example. Anyway, he rang the doorbell, it was nearing noon so he hoped she was awake, and home.

"Oh hey, Nick," she said, answering the door. He turned from where he was getting ready to leave and smiled handing her the flowers.

"Thanks" she smiled back

"I um wanted you to have these" he started "I wanted to give them to you last night but" he shrugs. 

"Seriously thanks so much" she invites him in for a moment while she puts them in a vase.

"Are you all alone?" He asked the house seems eerily quiet.

"Yeah my dad brought Carlos to his baseball practice" she explained settling the flowers in a vase on the table. "I was about to head out to the garage and practice with the guys" she added. "We practice so much my dad is considering soundproofing the garage," she added. "You can come to watch if you want?" She offered without thinking.

"No that’s OK I have to get to football practice anyway" he lied hiding his disappointment. He left and she followed him out slipping into the garage.

"Oh my heartbroken teenage boy," came a voice from behind him, he turned to the odd-looking man. "Do I know you?" He asked

"Oh no but you will," he said turning into a puff of purple smoke and flying into Nick's nose and mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry the Nick being possessed by Caleb thing, will be explained. After the first two chapters. I'm gonna stagger them, I plan to write from three different views. What's going on with Nick and Caleb, what's going on with Carrie and Bobby/Trevor, and of course what, and going on with our main crew.  
> Also yes I know Nick plays lacrosse, not football it's part of his lie, and can we really blame Julie for not noticing no, we can't, she has so much other stuff in her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I realized the first two chapters really should have been uploaded together so instead of waiting till Wednesday you get it now, from here on out I'm gonna upload on Sunday and Wednesday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two here we go after this we really get into the main story.

After Nick left Julie went looking for the boys so they could figure out this new development before Alex panicked too much, and explain everything to Flynn too, and maybe if there was time actually have band practice too.

"Boys" Julie called softly into the garage. There is a lump on one sofa and faint snoring coming from the loft and she smiled, a few days after she commented on them needing human things she asked Luke about it and he had said.

"We don't need sleep but we can sleep" as she was remembering that she heard the bathroom door open and Luke exited which meant it was Reggie on the couch by the tufts of dark hair leaking out from the blankets and Alex in the loft. 

"How does he snore?" Julie asked quietly, pointing to the loft, "don't you have to breath to snore?" She asked, and Luke just shrugged. She figured that wasn't the point you needed to breathe, to speak too and the boys could obviously speak. Now that she thought about it she was pretty sure the guys did still breathe, rather that was from habit or need she didn't know.

"Do I wanna know why you were in the bathroom there is literally nothing you could need in there" she stated. 

"That's where you're wrong," Luke said "ghosts still need deodorant of all things," he stated matter of factly. Reaching out to take her hands only to sigh when they phased through again, but within a few minutes of being in her presence, he was solid again. So that solved one question, certain proximity to Julie for a certain length of time. Luke could live with that, he cringed at his brain's choice of wording on that one. 

Flynn barged in then, but she paused when she saw Luke saw him and they weren't singing. 

"I can see Luke," she stated matter of factly hoping not to freak them out too much. OK so maybe there was a downside to being able to touch Julie. She jumped back in surprise and when they were no longer touching he felt himself go invisible again to everybody but her, that was. He didn't know how to explain it

He knew he was invisible again, it was like he was warm and felt almost alive except for the lack of a heartbeat when he was visible and then he was back to his regular ghosty self again.

"You mind waking up the boys while I talk to Flynn?" she asked Luke. He nodded, she explained what they knew of last night to Flynn, and then they practiced the powers for a bit till Julie's dad got home. Alex really needed to know the rules of something or he started to panic so they practiced and wrote everything down in a sorta rule book of the afterlife. Although Julie suspected that the Boy’s afterlife was quite Different from the norm she didn't say that to Alex she didn't need him to pace for an hour. The boys were all visible to others as long as they were touching Julie but they had to be within a certain range of Julie for at least 2 minutes before they could touch her. Even when Julie touched them though they couldn't shake Flynn's hand that was kinda sad, and Flynn explained that when they talked it was kinda muffled too. But maybe it would just take some time she suggested. They never actually practiced any music till almost dinner time and by then Flynn had gone home. They were just getting set and started singing a run of 'On The Edge Of Great' when Ray came in. They stopped singing and the boys vanished, Ray looked confused, he hoped they would have stuck around. He looks around but can't for the life of him see the Hologram projector. Actually, he can, it's just not on. He picks it up then and realizes it's not actually plugged in. Julie is looking at him all scared like. He could understand if maybe she turned off the hologram projector when he came in but if it was never plugged in how could he see the boys a second ago. He swears he hears a few notes from the bass guitar but that's impossible.

He started to convince himself maybe he didn't even see them, when suddenly without thinking Luke takes Julie's hand and becomes visible. The flash of Luke appearing attracts Ray's attention back to Julie and he is shocked when she is mouthing over her shoulder where the drums had been. 

"I was just coming to tell you that dinner was ready but now I really need an explanation," Ray told his daughter. She smiled nervously, he noticed her joined hands with the boy from her band just in time for her to drop his hand and him to disappear again. "I'm not very tech-savvy but I'm definitely not an idiot either, I know that there is no way they are phasing in and out like that if the projector isn't even plugged in." He said. It was a moment later when her hand raised again and was clasped by a suddenly visible boy again, this time a different one but still with dark hair, and on her other side, a blonde boy appeared to also be holding her hand. On the other side of the blonde was the original boy, he recognized all three as her bandmates who were supposed to live across the world but instead were blinking in and out of view when they touched her. 

"Dad, this is Reggie, Alex, and Luke," Julie said. That moved into a long awkward conversation. With the boys phasing in and out when they forgot to touch Julie. He wouldn't have believed her he really wouldn't have if it wasn't for the evidence in front of him.

"So the boys are dead and have been dead for 25 years they were in a really great band before they died they had a fourth bandmate who didn't die and he stole all their songs, to try and get back at the said guy they met another ghost and had said ghost try and control them they almost died, sorry ceased to exist they are already dead, and they have been living in our garage the whole time?" Again, he cringed at his choice of words, but he had summed it up pretty good.

"Wow I never thought you could sum it up in so few words but yeah basically," Julie said.

"I mean a lot of other stuff happened too," Alex chimes in.

"But you have the basics," Luke finished. The boys faded again.

"I can always see them, but they can only be seen by others when we play until recently when they touch me, which we weren't able to do until recently either" Julie reminded her dad. 

"Why didn't you tell me the truth earlier Mija?" He asked her even though he was in shock.

"Cause I was afraid you wouldn't believe me and think I was crazy and send me back to Dr. Turner," she sighed. 

"But you told Flynn?" He asked, she had mentioned the whole thing with almost losing Flynn over the band.

"Yeah I did," she nodded, "I couldn't lose her," she said, "I'm sorry," she curled up against him on the couch, something she hadn't done since she was a little girl even when her mom died. 

"Are the boys still here?" He asked.

"No they left us alone I think Alex and Reggie might have gone looking for Willie again," she explained. Alex had been so nervous when he came out to her the week prior and so much had already happened. So, when she started talking about how Alex met another ghost friend and he had looked panicked she hadn't brought up the fact that they were a couple, she's actually not sure if they are. She hasn't even met Willie. But the way he talks about him makes her think they might be, she knows he's nervous, she probably should talk to him about how much things have changed since the 90's soon.

"And Luke?" He asked, she blushed. He knew she was interested in the boy. Julie didn't want to explain Luke's parents, so she just shrugs.

"I don't know he might have gone with them," she said. 

"So tell me the story again from the beginning?" He asked.

"It started the night you asked me to clean up out here," she said "I climbed up in the loft to take down the instruments like you asked me to and I found a CD," she said. "I played it and the boys fell from the sky, they thought they had just died a few hours ago but really it had been 25 years," she explained.

"So they haven't just been hanging around our house for 25 years?" Ray confirmed.

"Nope just got here a few months ago, I think" she stutters out not sure how to tell her dad what she thinks so she continues the story. "When the music was playing out here, that was them, not the stereo. I had to tell them to shut up, that you could hear them and they went crazy, they were so excited that the one thing they had lived for they could still do, even if no one could see them. We didn't find out people could see them when we played till I performed to get back into the music program." She explained. "And no we don't know why there is a lot we don't know," she added. "They were so annoying but they were also really kind to me, it took them a while to understand boundaries. I'm still not entirely sure they do but we are getting there, they no longer enter my room without permission," she laughed at that. "They got into my dream box twice before they learned their lesson," she laughed again. "Luke gave me a song and convinced me not to ask but to show so I marched into school and after the spirit rally I got up on stage and I sang the boys really wanted to be encouraging so they popped up on stage to sing with me that's when we realized they could be seen, and that's when I came up with the hologram band from Sweden thing. Except of course Flynn didn't, believe me, she knew I was lying and I couldn't tell her the truth for the same reason I felt like I couldn't tell you." Julie found herself out of breath from telling the story again. "The boys helped me make up with Flynn too," she explained after a moment. "They turned a poem I wrote about her into a song that we then performed as an apology after I told her the truth, she was freaked out she almost called you to tell you I had lost it but I took her phone away and once she met the guys she was cool with it she understood why I didn't tell you." She said she yawned.

"You can finish telling me while we eat," he said

After that they had dinner and Julie finished re-telling the story. It took another hour, and then she gave him some time to process and went upstairs to bed. She wasn't surprised when the boys knocked on her door that night and she just patted the bed beside her.

"What did he say is everything OK?" Luke asked, they all had so much to lose if the band was shut down. 

"He had me tell him the story again, he's still processing but I think it's gonna be OK," she told them. Then they had another group hug, they did that a lot now that they could, the boys had really missed it. They craved the warmth that came with them being solid and the physical anchor to the world of the living. They theorized some more about what had happened the night of the Orphruem, then they left Julie to sleep because she did still need that.

The next day Ray and Julie had another long conversation about the band he set a few ground rules but he agreed he wouldn't keep her from being in the band. As long as she kept her grades up, he said he knew how much music meant to her. He said he wasn't gonna take that away not when she just got it back. She finally told him about the Orpheum I mean for the third time but this time she told him about Flynn's theory. About finding the sunset curve t-shirt and about the woman with the Dahlia outside of the Orpheum.

"Dad, I think mom sent them," she said. "It just makes so much sense why I can see them. They are connected to her, I just wish I knew how. The first theory was actually that they were connected to her since she had the CD, but then we found out Trevor stole all their music, and we assumed they were connected to him, but I'm back to thinking they are connected to her." she said. 

"Did you say, Trevor?" He asked her. She realized this was the first time they had actually specifically said who stole their music. 

"Yeah I did their fourth bandmate Bobby stuck around at the Orpheum to chat up some girl and then after they died he changed his name and stole all their music, He's Trevor Wilson. So it wasn't Trevor that got me into music. It was Luke, " she explained. "And it was Luke who got me back into music too," she smiled and blushed again.

"We will talk about you being all flustered around Luke at another time for now I think I can answer your question about the connection," Ray explained. "I wouldn't put it past your mama to have sent them she was like that," he added. This was the first time he had talked about Rose in a while that he hadn't teared up. "Your mom met Trevor in 1995 who wants to bet she met him while also waiting tables at the Orpheum that summer?" He asked. "I never got the full story but they became fast friends, there is no way she knew what he did with the music, but she definitely knew him, and before you blame the boys for not remembering her. They had a lot of other things on that night" he reminded her. "I met your mom the next year during our first year of College" he added. They lapsed into silence again.

"Have I told you I love you Lately Papi?" She asked. He just laughed and hugged her and sent her to practice with the boys in the garage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys this chapter like super got away from me they won't all be this long sorry. I just wanted to get all the basics down before I hopped into another viewpoint.  
> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tevors point of veiw from when he see's the bands video on youtube untill it catches up with the rest of the story. Plus some back story head cannons for the boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to get into Trevor's mindset but I'm not sure how well I did.
> 
> Trigger warning: Suicidal thoughts, and drinking.  
> Little bit of homophobia (alex's parents are mentioned in like 2 sentences)

Trevor couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the video on youtube they were dead he went to their funerals he still went to their graves on the anniversary of their deaths every year. He called his friend, got seats for the performance Carrie told him about, he had to see this in person for himself. He watched Julie come on stage alone, he had heard the mumbo jumbo about the holograms but there was no way that was true. No way that three boys from Sweden looked exactly like his three best friends wore the same clothes and played the same instruments. He watched the guitarist who he was now sure was Luke flicker on the stage just like everyone else. If he didn't know better he would have said connection issues. But he recognized them, it was too much of a coincidence. He was in total shock. He didn't even pay attention to the full performance, only watched in shock until they popped offstage. He barely registered when Carrie got up and clapped, she was actually impressed with what her ex-friend had accomplished. He felt sick the whole drive home, he put the pieces together and realized it was probably the boys that had been messing with him a few weeks ago. He had to admit it was ironic that right when the 25th anniversary of their death had just passed and his past was starting to bug him, was when it literally came back to haunt him. He still has a lot of questions but he decided to give it a little while before he found an excuse to ask Julie about it. He didn't know what was going on or what Julie knew, he hasn't seen her for real since Rose's funeral. She and Carrie fell out shortly before her mothers passing and he had only gone because Rose had been so supportive when the boys passed. She was honestly the only reason he was still alive. He had been torn up after the boy's death. He had barely made it home to the studio after the police came to the Orpheum and informed him of what had happened. He didn't even realize Rose had followed him home till he was sitting in the studio crying. She came with him to the funeral even though she had only met the boys once and only known him for two weeks. She called him every day for two months, if he was being honest she was the only reason he hadn't tried to take his own life. The only thing he had wanted to do during those first few months was to join them in death. He stopped being Bobby but he hadn't yet become Trevor. Bobby disappeared down a bottle of booze and it was a year before Trevor emerged. None of them had a great home life. His dad was a raging alcoholic, that's what really snapped him out of his stupor when he realized he was becoming his father. His mother had died giving birth to his younger brother, and his dad had turned to alcohol just like he had with the guys, his dad died in a car accident when he was 14 and left him and his 6-year-old brother to be raised by their grandparents, it was his home the boys practiced at. Heck lived at. Reggie had always spent a lot of time at Bobby's or Luke's or even Alex's, his parents couldn't stop arguing long enough to even care that they had a son. Luke officially ran away first but all three guys had been crashing there periodically for almost a year. Things were always awkward with Alex's parents from the time he was a little boy he never lived up to his parents' expectations. He never quite fit in with his brothers and sisters. He had a big family. Very religious too if Trevor remembered correctly. When he had come out they hadn't kicked him out, what they did was worse. They completely ignored him, segregated him from his brothers and sisters, so he left. He moved into the studio right alongside Luke. Reggie never officially ran away but he spent more time there than at home, he didn't even think Reggie's parents had noticed. Then they died, Alex's parents gave him a small funeral they were clearly sad their son had died but they never really understood him, they almost didn't let Bobby come to the funeral they were convinced it was the band's fault that in their words something was wrong with their son. Reggie's parents finally split, each too busy blaming each other for their son's death that they barely mourned him. Luke's parents sank into perpetual mourning the last time he checked they had still been walking through life in a fog even after 25 years. The three boys were buried in the same cemetery but Alex was hidden in the far back corner of a family plot in the far back corner of the cemetery. Reggie had a small grave somewhere in the middle. And Luke was buried near the front, there were always fresh flowers on his grave, unlike the other two boys. Rose was buried in the same cemetery he had lost so much, and Rose's death had only cemented that, he had written an album in her memory it had taken a while to produce and had come out the year after she died, he wasn't sure Julie or Ray knew. He hadn't told them, he hadn't officially dedicated it either. It felt too personal in his heart, the album was dedicated to Rose just like his first two Albums, and two singles had been dedicated to the boys. He could never bring himself to actually talk about it for 15 years after their deaths when Carrie was 6 just after her mom left he had gone to a therapist, he had talked about it for the first time. He had healed for the first time. But by then it was too late to dedicate the music. He knew he technically stole it and it had been burning at him for the last year, he had finally told Rose the truth. She had not been happy with him, but she was in the middle of her 7th round of chemo and there was nothing she could do about it. She died soon after, he didn't think the boys would forgive him anymore then Rose had. He was in an almost catatonic state for 3 days after the Orpheum performance, his body just doing the necessary tasks on autopilot. On Tuesday Carrie comes home from school and tells him that she and Julie had been partners on a project, she didn't seem so happy about it but better than she would have reacted a month ago he thinks. It seems like they are at least trying to make up. He doesn't even know why they were fighting in the first place. He saw his opportunity to talk to Julie so after they finished work and Carrie went upstairs to do some other homework or maybe call the girls in her dance group on FaceTime he pulled her aside before she could leave.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked her, she didn't look surprised, she just nodded. She motioned them back into the living room.

"I figured this would happen sooner or later after Carrie told me you were at the Orpheum yesterday" she admitted. "She came up to me and loudly exclaimed that I had broken her dad, it was pretty funny," Julie admitted trying to lighten the mood. She still didn't trust Trevor but she was slightly more willing than the boys to hear his side of the story.

"The boys?" That is all that manages to come out of Trevor's mouth. 

"Yeah you can thank my mom for that one rolling theory currently is that she sent them back to earth" Julie explained slightly sarcastically. "I know everything or at least I know their side of the story, I'm willing to hear yours too," she said.

He looked at her raising an eyebrow as if asking how much she really knew, although he very much doubted the boys hadn't told her everything. The boys were like that after everything they had been through they didn't trust easily but when they did they were willing to share their whole lives with you. 

"I know that you were all four in a band together called sunset curve. I know, they died after eating bad hotdogs on what was supposed to be the biggest night of your lives. I also know that your first two albums are almost entirely Luke's songs."

At that, he gulped so she did basically know everything or as she put it everything from the Boys view. 

"I can also speculate a few things with a little help from my dad, such as where my mom and the boy's unfinished business/connection to earth is," she said. 

"Your dad?" He asked, "how many people know?" He asked again he hoped Carrie didn't, it would destroy any bond they still had as father and daughter if she found out.

"Flynn, my dad, Carlos, and you," she said. He saw her glance over her shoulder.

"Are the boys here now?" He asked.

"Luke's outside waiting for me, he's not very happy with you," she explained. "I caught them mooning you a few weeks ago," they both laughed at that one. "The boys aren't as willing to hear your side of the story but I'm sure they will come around," she said. She started to get up to leave. 

“Wait, don't go, I need to hear the whole story. I'm going crazy,” he begged.

“I'm not going anywhere. Luke is just being an idiot and refusing to come in. I'm gonna go talk to him for a minute then I will be back” she promised. She stepped out on his back patio and he then watched her have an argument with thin air for a few minutes before she stepped back in.

“He went to find Reggie and Alex, he says they can finally have that face to face confrontation whatever that means, I can make them visible,” she explained when he raised an eyebrow. “They are probably just in the studio but they might be down at the pier he says to start the story without them,” she added. “You or rather their inability to forgive you actually got them in a lot of trouble,” she said after she had explained how they had fallen from the sky and then helped her get back in the music program and prevented her friendship with Flynn from ending. “They got their souls stolen by a very powerful ghost and when they refused to join his band they were almost wiped from existence," she explained. “That's why we performed at the Orpheum they thought it might be their unfinished business they thought the only way to keep from being destroyed was to do their unfinished business and cross over. But the Orpheum wasn't their unfinished business,” she explained. “They pretended to cross over because they didn't want me to be upset, I would have been upset either way by then I couldn't stand the thought of losing them,” she continued. “I had always been able to see them even when no one else could, people could only see them when we performed together,” she elaborated, "but no matter how many times I wished I could have given Alex a hug or held Luke's hand I couldn't touch them, not until the night they almost ceased to exist,” she said. She had gotten so used to telling the story now since she had told it to Flynn and Carlos and her dad multiple times that she didn't even get emotional talking about it anymore. “Anyway they were being jolted to oblivion so we were saying goodbye and suddenly I was able to hug them, they started freaking glowing and their brands flew away,” she explained. “Now when I touch them other people can see them.” Just then she jumped, he assumed they had poofed in front of her based on where her eyes landed. “That really shouldn't startle me anymore." She sighed and patted the couch next to her clearly for the boy’s, he was surprised when the couch bounced as they landed next to her. “I finished telling what has happened so far,” she told the boys," that means it's Trevors turn to tell his story since it's gonna be a few minutes before you can yell at him anyway,” she said clearly staring at the boys. The way she said it he could almost imagine the boys being all sulky about it like they had always been when they didn't get their way. So he talked and he talked he hadn’t told the whole story in one sitting ever and not anyone other than his therapist.

“I was a wreck afterward obviously,” he started. “I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for your mom Julie,” he admitted. “She knew me for like half an hour, and she was still willing to be there for me, she took me under her wing. I became like a little brother to her,” he said. “And if we are being technical,” he realized “if I hadn't stuck around to chat her up I really would be dead,” he said. He heard a gasp and was surprised to see Luke staring back at him a hand on Julie's shoulder.

“The Waitress?” he asked just for his own confirmation, “the one at the Orpheum,” he gasped again before going invisible.

“So my dad was right," Julie commented, “you did meet my mom when she was working at the Orpheum the summer before she started college, well that's one mystery solved please continue,” she said.

“Right so yeah she followed me back to the studio, just to make sure I was ok, she went with me to the funerals which by the way sucked, and then she spent the rest of the summer checking on me every day. I honestly believe Bobby died the same day you guys did, even if I didn't change my name for almost a year and a half.” he sighed. “After the summer after I turned 18 and Rose started college I disappeared down a bottle of booze,” he admitted “not my proudest year,” he sighed. “Rose helped me with that too, encouraged me to get help and get back into music.” He was tearing up now, Alex showed up then still wearing his signature pink hoodie. 

“That must have been tough man, we know how much you always dreaded ending up like your dad,” was all he said before disappearing again. But that was ok it was all the encouragement he needed. Clearly, the boys filled in the blank about his father's drinking problem because Julie's face lit up.

“That's, why you were so angry at Carrie when you caught us playing never, have I ever with the flask the summer between 8th and 9th grade,” she said.

“Yeah I was afraid she might have inherited some of my less than desirable traits,” he sighed. 

“Can we just get to why the Hell you stole our music?” that was Luke once again popping into existence only long enough to yell at him. 

“I got into music again this time as Trevor I changed my name after I got done with rehab, Rose actually suggested that too when I told her I was having a hard time being Bobby,” he sighed again. “I never did talk to anyone about what happened to you guys not for 15 years, by then I had already released the songs as my own, as a tribute to you, but I had changed my name, I had Erased Bobby Carlton from existence, and became Trevor Wilson, it was too personal to actually admit that they were for someone. I didn't realize what I had done was wrong till much later,” he admitted. “And by then it was too late to actually give you any credit. I'm sorry. "He was full-on crying now. The boys flickered into existence again. They talked for a long time until Julie's dad called wondering where she was, in the end, the boy forgave him even if they still weren't happy with him. But for him, it was good enough for now, and he thought maybe just maybe he could be Bobby again eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok wow, this really got away from me more than the last chapter. I meant to break this up into two chapters but, wow Ok. Don’t worry just because I had the Boys and Trevor's confrontation it doesn't mean I won't continue to have a chapter or two in Trevor or Carrie's perspective. The next chapter is about the main crew again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprise it's the Fluffy Ray accidentally adopts 3 teenage (ghost) boys chapter everyone has been waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their will be romance later don't worry. Mainly Juke and Willex, but we will see.

Ray was still processing everything but he was starting to settle into the idea that these boys hadn't had the best lives or the best afterlives so far. He picked up by how connected they were to each other, he recognized the brotherly bond that best friends sometimes got. But he also recognized that their bond came from somewhere deeper. He didn't know what their lives had been like before they died, they didn't want to talk to him about it yet and that was ok. But he did know that it can't have been good. The fact that they took to living in the studio makes him wonder if it has been more than a studio before their deaths. He vows to whatever brought them here may, that be his wife or something else, that he's gonna make them seem welcome and safe however he can. Even if that means being totally cool with his daughter being in a band with three teenage boys, even if they are dead they are corporal to her. He had to look that word up corporal, it meant she could see and touch them. He's not sure how he feels about that especially when she gets all flustered around Luke. They still haven't talked about that. Then again it's only been a couple of days. He wonders what the boys do all day, and he decides he better make sure they have some entertainment in the studio, starting with a good layer of soundproofing so they can practice, in there without noise complaints. He is not sure how to approach them about it though.

The garage is their space and he doesn't feel comfortable invading it without their permission. He decides he will ask Julie about it when she gets home from Carries. Another thing he was surprised about her and Carrie were suddenly on speaking terms again, he wouldn't say they were friends but he's pretty sure they aren't enemy's anymore. He starts on dinner and when Julie still isn't home at 6:30 he gives her a call. She knows how important Family dinners are, she wouldn't miss them. He thinks she must have lost track of time. Luckily she does answer her phone. She apologized and said she would be on her way home right away and that she would explain everything at dinner, it had been a weird afternoon she explained. She was home by 7 as promised and was clearly being trailed by the three ghosts, as she held open the door for an oddly long time. 

"Sorry I'm late today was crazy well the last two days have been crazy really," she said. "It turns out Trevor came to our performance on Friday and has been in a state ever since, Carrie informed me yesterday I broke her dad. I and she ended up actually talking yesterday though we got down to the root of our fight and we are trying at least to build something," she sighed "Carrie told me that I was actually really good, and then today we got assigned a project to work on together so we went over to her house to work on it." Julie continued to explain. "Trevor pulled me aside to talk after we were done and the boys finally got to hear Trevor's side of the story, I'm not sure we forgive him but like me and Carrie we are at least trying." She explained. They finally sat down to eat after that Tia was still refusing to set foot near the house after the haunting incident which Julie realized she had yet to yell at the boys about, although she figured now might be a bit late. The boys sat down with them now that they could taste things too.

*flashback 1 day prior*

The boys had stuck around watching them eat. She knew how much they missed it. They are teenage boys they had lived for music and food, she couldn't blame them.

"You think if you made us solid we could eat?" Reggie asked suddenly. She almost choked on her bite of food and then turned over her shoulder to address him.

"I mean what's the worst that happens if we try?" Luke asked hopefully. She eyed them each warily and then held up her hand. For one of them to take.

"Who's first?" She asked. 

"Mija?" Ray looked confused, 

"They wanna try to eat, I think it's a bad idea but honestly the worst that happens is it slips through them," she shrugged. As the boys argued over who got to be first behind her.

"Ah, OK Carlos go get some more silverware," he told the younger boy and he dashed off into the kitchen to get them three more forks so the boys could try the mashed potatoes. 

"It smells good," Alex commented, Reggie and Luke were still arguing so Alex had taken the opportunity to lay a hand on Julie's shoulder and solve the argument by going first. Ray smiled at the compliment and then frowned. Like Julie had suspected the mashed potatoes fork and all just slid back through him when he tried to take a bite. 

"Well I can taste it," He smiled, counting that as a win. "As long as we 'eat' things that won't make a mess when they slip through us I count this as an improvement," he declared using finger quotes for eat And then vanishing so Luke and Reggie could each try a bite.

Ray just added it to his list of things to be confused about. But for breakfast, the next morning pulled out the extra leaf at the table and set out plates with just a spoonful of each thing on them for the boys. Even if the floating spoon was creepy as the food slipped, threw them back onto the plate. 

*end of flashback*

He did talk to Julie about soundproofing the Garage and what the boys did all day. Julie admitted that she didn't know, some days they followed her around the school but not very often cause, they didn't want to distract her.

They set to work making the studio more homey for the boys, with the boy's help and input of course. They started by finishing, emptying the loft and Ray took an old dresser from the Attic so they had a place to keep their clothes that weren't, trash bags. He was even more convinced their home lives must have been bad if they each had at least a partly full trash bag of clothes at the studio. With a lot of difficulty they moved one of the couches up there and a mattress as well as some bean bag chairs at Reggie's request. They hung the old Sunset Curve banner over the window like a curtain, it became like the bedroom a chill space. Even if the boy didn't need to sleep. The back of the studio where the greenhouse had been, became living space, they moved the couches and chairs and coffee table over there, getting rid of some of the clutter. The smaller side where the couches had been became the place to store clutter. Since Julie preferred the Keyboard to the grand piano it got shoved carefully into the front corner of the studio with the rest of the clutter they didn't know what to do with but they didn't want to get rid of was. The big side stayed, the rehearsal space it had been, with the instruments. That left most of the center of the Studio free for whatever they wanted it for. Flynn claimed dance party's, which Ray couldn't deny it was probably, true base on how much Julie moved around on stage when they performed.

As they cleaned they added some strategic sound-absorbent padding to the walls. It wasn't completely soundproof that would have been really hard to do but he couldn't hear them nearly as loud from inside the house anymore. Which meant he wasn't getting phone calls from the neighbors anymore either. Other than their obvious presence at the table though Ray had no clue where they were or what they did during the day. Unless the video game console in the den started playing itself then he knew they were bored. 

Carlos had taught them how the newer system worked, They said, through Julie off course that Bobby had owned a Super Nintendo that they had been addicted to before they started spending all their time on the band. So Carlos had taught them how to play on the ps4 and so the game system in the Den would just randomly come on and start playing in the middle of the day or night sometimes. They usually muted it if Ray was working though so as long as they remembered to turn it off he didn't mind. The floating controller was the weirdest part honestly, but just like everything for the good of the boys and his own children he took it in stride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go Ray adopting ghost boys and the boys can eat sort of. I hope I did it justice. Next up Is supposed to be Caleb and Nick but it's gonna be Carrie instead sorry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened between Julie and Carrie and what's Flynn's reaction also Carrie finds out that she doesn't know her dad like she thought she did.

Carrie clapped she couldn't help it no matter what her status was with Julie she had been taught some show business courtesy and she had to admit Julie and that hologram band of hers were impressive. She didn't realize her dad was in a state till they were halfway home and he had ignored her question about the performance for the third time in a row. She expected to look up and find him deep in something on his phone but instead was met with her dad, a look of shock still sitting on his face from the performance. He was mumbling under his breath about the band and she couldn't help but laugh at him.

"They were good but they weren't that good dad," she said. But again it was like he didn't even hear her. He stayed in that state all weekend, she wasn't sure what to do with him, he was still going about his daily routine but she could tell her wasn't really there, not that she saw him all that much any way they were both really busy people. On Monday morning they had breakfast together and it was clear something was wrong and all she could get out of him was.

"The Band" so she took it upon herself to go confront Julie by her Locker that morning at school. She marched right up to her and said the only thing she could think of.

"I think you and your stupid holograms broke my dad." Julie turned from apparently staring off into space on the other side of her Locker to look at Carrie.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"He dragged me to your stupid performance on Friday and he's been a walking zombie since" Carrie explained.

"He was there?" Julie asked in shock. 

"Yeah, we both were, I have to admit it was pretty good," she sighed rolling her eyes checking around her to see if anyone had heard her confession. "But if you tell anyone I said that you're dead," she said and then flicked her hair over her shoulder and walked away.

"What the heck was that?" Flynn asked coming up to Julie having stayed a few minutes after her first class packing up. 

"We broke Trevor and rightfully so," she sighed, closing her locker and leaning her head against it. "I'm gonna try and talk to her today," Julie admitted. "I feel the need to apologize even though I can't explain it," she sighed again "me and my stupid conscience." Then the bell rang and she headed off to class. Flynn picked up the pace to keep up with her.

"You mean apologizing for Trevor right?" She asked. "Because don't even bother with her for anything else you know the fight is the stupidest thing ever it's not your fault she can't take no for an answer," Flynn said.

"I'm only planning to apologize for Trevor but I might try and talk to her about the other thing." She admitted. "We were best friends the three of us, heck she was my first friend. No offense Flynn. Mostly because my mom and her dad were friends which by the way I know why now I will have to tell you all about it at lunch " she said.

"None taken, see you at lunch," Flynn said stepping into her classroom. She didn't see Carrie till after school but she did explain the suspected connection between Trevor the boys and her mom to Flynn at lunch.

"That actually makes sense," Flynn said, taking a bite of her sandwich. Offhandedly as if it's the most normal thing in the world Julie says.

"Reggie says your sandwich looks good," she sighed.

"He's here?" Flynn asked her. 

"Yes they all are, they escaped helping my dad clean the studio and now they are bored," she rolled her eyes taking a bite of her own food. She looked over Flynn's shoulder again and then sighed and ripped off a piece Of her ham sandwich and set it on the table beside her. Luckily they were in a secluded corner of the cafeteria. It floated up before landing on the table again. "They can taste things again even if they can't actually ingest them and they are obsessed with trying everything they have missed," she explained.

"So just another average Monday, got it," Flynn laughed.

*meanwhile* 

Carrie stomped off to her next class, usually bullying made her feel better but not today.

She doodled a bit, she didn't even pretend to pay attention to her classes till lunch, she was gonna eat with the girls from dirty candy so she wouldn't be alone, that's what she really didn't need right now to be alone if she was left alone to her thoughts she was probably gonna have a panic attack. It might seem like she's this super confident bully but that's just a mask just like the rest of her life. She always thought it wasn't fair that Julie got to be happy while she was so conflicted. Finally, she told Julie the truth, that she really liked her, like romantically. Julie had of course been fine with Carries sexuality Flynn being bi-sexual too, that hadn't been the issue.

She had been a little freaked out that her best friend liked her like that. They had drifted in and out of friendship for a bit. Before finally in a fit of rage at the constant flirting and the stress of her mom's situation, Julie blew up at her. They had a big fight and they hadn't been friends since. It wasn't fair, she and Flynn flirted all the time. Or at least it seemed like they did. That's when Carrie became the hard as stone bully she vowed to never be broken like that again, that's why even when Nick the hottest guy in school asked her out she dated him for convenience she never got too close. So she was angry when he broke up with her but not broken as she had been. 

She didn't know how to support Julie with her mom's death after the fight and they drifted further apart. Then Julie Didn't sing for a year she lost her singing partner so she started dirty candy and they were really good. Then Julie showed up with her new hologram band to upstage her and she got jealous. She didn't know how to fix things now even if she wanted to. But when her phone chimed during her last class she was surprised it was Julie, she could have sworn she deleted her number after everything went down but she did have over 200 contacts so maybe not. Even though she didn't know what to say to her when she asked to talk after school she responded with a yes. They met out by the unused Soccer field they talked. It was awkward and they weren't friends but they weren't enemy's. Carrie admitted she didn't know if she could be Julie's friend, even after the big fight those feelings lingered. She agreed to go on as nothing had changed as long as Carrie knew that she was sorry for blowing up at her and knew she had also forgiven Carrie for not understanding how Julie felt about it. Julie took all the blame she said it was her fault for not talking about it, and explained how she felt. Carrie tried to say it wasn't all her fault. Just two days ago Carrie would have been willing to let Julie take all the blame, maybe she really was changing, her mask was falling just a little bit. 

The next day their music teacher who very much knew they weren't friends assigned them to a project together. Carrie assumed it was about time, no one ever wanted to be her partner and she didn't blame them. She was pretty sure the teacher had a list that she just circulated through because since last year she had been paired with just about every single one of her classmates. She invited Julie over to work on it. 

"I'm just gonna let the boys know and I will be over in like half an hour?" She asked, and Carried shrugged. Julie walked away already pulling out her phone.

Julie kept her promise and arrived at Carrie's house fairly quickly and they got to work on the project for an hour before Carrie declared them done for the night and went upstairs to call the girls from dirty candy. Or at least try to but they didn't pick up so she was just about to go back downstairs and see how her dad was doing maybe they would watch a movie. But she caught him and Julie talking. 

"I played the Demo CD for the 1995 tour and they fell from the sky," Julie said. She was intrigued, she wanted to know what they were talking about so she found a good spot where she could see them and hear them but they couldn't see her.

"I was freaked out, they still thought the studio was theirs for them, it had only been a few hours. I was the one who informed them they had been dead for 25 years. The theory about how they got back didn't come till later." She took a sip of water they had clearly settled down for a long conversation so Carrie settled in. "They played with me when I got my spot back in the music program," she explained, "Luke gave me Bright to sing, they realized that people could see them when we played and that's where the idea of the holograms came from," Julie said.

Carrie was confused so Julie's band wasn't holograms, they were dead, they were ghosts she had to keep herself from gasping. She kept listening, why was Julie telling her dad all this she wondered. She listened for a while, why would the boys have to forgive her dad for something, had he known them when they were alive maybe? She didn't know. Julie sure spun quite a tale Carrie wasn't sure she believed her honestly it was too weird. But of course, then the boys had to go and show up. Or at least she thought they did, Julie acted as they did, and the couch bounced when she motioned for them to sit. Then she heard her dad launch into the strangest tale ever, turns out she didn't know her dad nearly as well as she thought. Oh and Julie was definitely not lying, she saw the boys coming in and out. She waits for Julie to leave, she has a lot of questions for her dad. As soon as Julie and, she assumed the boys leave, her dad starts up the stairs towards her. She waits till he's all the way up the stairs before she steps out of her corner.

"I have so many questions," she said. He looks startled by her sudden appearance.

"How much did you hear?" He asked.

"Everything from boys falling from the sky till Julie left", she said. 

"Well, you have basically the whole story then what do you wanna know?" Her dad asked her, he looked ten times older than he did this morning. He was clearly worn out over all of this.

"You know what dad you get some rest we will talk in the morning," she decided to head back into her room. She heard him go into his room and she sighed. She hoped her dad would be OK, that was a lot of information for her. She couldn't believe how it felt for her dad. She did know why Julie broke him now though and honestly it made a lot of sense. If people she knew who had been dead for like a really long time were suddenly playing music with someone else she knew she would be freaking out too. Seeing her dad cry had been hard but she understood he had only been 20 when he released his first single in 1997. She could understand if he had made a few mistakes. Heck if she was being technical she was a mistake not that her dad ever treated her like one. On his Third tour in 2002, he had hooked up with a roadie and said the roadie had gotten pregnant, her mom. He had done the right thing he had been there for her and he was the best dad ever, her mom had walked out when she was 6 though so really he had been her only parent the only one that mattered anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, we are at the end of the chapter lots of head cannons in this one lol. Hope I did OK. The next chapter Is Julie's birthday then we finally get Caleb. Sorry, it's taking so long.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julies birthday. Yay or is it??

On the 28th of October, the boys had hung a calendar up so they could keep track, Flynn marched into the studio carrying some signs. 

“Do something if you are all in here,” she demanded. Reggie held up a throw pillow. Luke and Alex did the same. “Great good I needed to talk to you without Julie around,” she started laying out her signs. One had a surprised face and then there was a smiley face, a kinda confused face, a thumbs-up, and a thumbs down. “This is for your reactions,” she explained. The boys nodded even though she couldn't see them.

“As you know it's Julie's birthday in a couple of days,” she wasn't surprised when the thumbs down floated into the air indicating they had not known that. “Actually I'm not surprised that she didn't tell you, she doesn't like her birthday, but she's turning 17 and she didn't celebrate her sweet 16 last year so we are gonna do something about it.” she looked proud like she had come up with a brilliant plan. The boys held up the confused face.

“Is that really a good idea if she doesn't like her birthday?” Alex asked

“Better question why doesn't she like her birthday,” Luke added. Again not that Flynn could hear them. Reggie looked around the room for a pen or a marker or something finally landing on one sitting on the coffee table in the living area. He quickly scrawled out on the back of the surprising sign. ‘Is that good idea, why?’ he hoped it got the message across as he handed it to Flynn.

“She didn't celebrate last year because her mom had just died, I'm not sure she wants to celebrate this year either honestly but I think if we just did something small she would be ok, I didn't mean a big party I just meant we aren't gonna let her mope around all day. It's on Saturday,” she finished waiting for their reply. Alex held up the thumbs up indicating they understood and Reggie held up the smiley face meaning they agreed.

“Isn't Saturday Halloween?” Luke asked the guys.

“It is,” Alex agreed with a look at the calendar. Reggie held up the surprised face and then wrote on the back ‘Halloween seriously?’ before showing it to Flynn 

“She can see ghosts and her birthday is on Halloween, that's ironic,” Alex realized.

“She can see us. We don't know if she can see all ghosts, we would if you ever brought Willie around to meet her,” Reggie said. 

“Come on man we don't know if that's safe,” Alex argued. They dropped the conversation when Flynn started speaking again.

“Yes her birthday is on Halloween, it's not that big of a deal she celebrates Dia de Los Muertos more so than Halloween anyway,” Flynn shrugged like it wasn't weird.

“Luke, get me a piece of paper, these signs are useless,” Alex requested. Luke ripped one from his new notebook Julie had gotten him and handed it to Alex and Reggie gave him the pen. Flynn waited patiently for their comments. 

‘Sees ghosts born on Halloween’ Alex wrote first. “Ironic right?’ he wrote after a moment. ‘Also what is that?’ he asked. He had no idea what she had said so he didn't even try to spell it. He showed the paper to Flynn.

“Huh, is kinda Ironic,” she shrugged. “Like I said I had never thought about it, it would be more ironic if she was born on Dia de Los Muertos,” Flynn said. “You might understand it better in English we call it the Day of the Dead. It's a remembrance holiday for those who have died. I'm surprised you don't know about it.” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “Ask Julie about it. I don't know that much about it other than we always paint our faces and eat amazing food and that they go to the cemetery after,” Flynn shrugged. “It's on Sunday and Monday this year, it's called the day of the dead but it actually takes place over two days,” she said. “Ok enough of that like I said ask Julie about it,” she said

“I don't know if I wanna ask her, I don't wanna make her sad,” Reggie said to the boys.

“Anyway like I said her birthday is on Saturday, she's spending the night at my house. My mom is working, and we were gonna eat a load of junk food and watch movies. You're welcome to join.” she explained. Alex held up the smiley face and the thumbs up again and Flynn collected the signs just in time for Julie to arrive for band practice. 

*Saturday*

Even though they could have poofed there the boys all pile into the back of Flynn’s car Julie doesn't seem surprised she just rolls her eyes and smiles at them. They spend the evening doing exactly what Flynn said Eating junk food and watching movies. Stopping occasionally to give candy to trick or treaters. The boys joined in with the snacking the best they could. They also ended up in a cuddle pile Flynn laughed when all of sudden the three boys became visible and they were all curled up around Julie like puppies. Julie had her back leaning against the couch Luke and Alex were draped across her sides, and Reggie lay across her legs. They watched a couple of movies they were still trying to get the boys caught up on pop culture. It didn't help that the boys could not sit still like at all. So after two movies, everyone was getting fidgety. 

“What do we wanna do now?” Flynn asked when she got tired of the boys, constant fidgeting. 

“Well my nails are a mess you could help me do them for Dia de Los Muertos tomorrow,” Julie told her best friend. “Boys of course don't have to stick around that might be boring for you,” she shrugged. She really wanted to chat with Flynn about Luke after their latest performance. They had played the Halloween dance at her school the night before, and tonight she was going crazy and really needed girls, talk. Girl's talk would be much easier if at least Luke left. 

“Flynn mentioned the Day of the Dead the other day,” Reggie said using the other name because he didn't want to mess up the pronunciation. “How does that work?” he asked. Flynn had gone upstairs to collect her extensive nail polish collection. 

“Well it's believed that one day a year the veil between the land of the dead and the land of the living is at its thinnest point and those who have already crossed over can return to earth to check on their families,” she explained as she began cleaning up the living room. “Usually you can't see them but they are there and you leave food and other gifts for them as well as their pictures on something called an Ofrenda. You can help me and my dad set it up tomorrow if you want,” she offered. “It's a day of remembrance so we are gonna make my moms Tamales and then go visit the cemetery,” she explained it was still hard to talk about her mom, but she wanted to share with the boys. “I have never seen ghosts before you guys if your wondering, even at Dia de Los Muertos so I'm not expecting to see her but I wish I could.” she wipes a stray tear from her eye.

“We didn't mean to make you cry,” Alex smiled and offered her a hug. 

“No, it's ok.” she smiled too and hugged Alex. 

“That sounds fun, I wonder if we will be able to see all the ghosts hanging around?” Reggie wondered out loud. Julie laughs she smiling now that's a good sign.

“I never thought of it that way but maybe,” she agreed. “Your anchor to the world of the living will probably be stronger too,” Julie realized. 

Flynn came back with a giant box of nail polish and Reggie and Luke left. Alex stuck around to watch for a bit if he got bored of course he would be quick to leave. 

“I know what's code for Girl talk when I hear it. What's up?” Flynn asked. Getting out a few bottles and some q-tips so she could take off Julies currently flaking nail polish. Alex looked intrigued.

“Just so you know Alex is still hanging around but that's ok,” Julie told Flynn.

“Ok then,” Flynn shrugged. “Alex you get to be our middle man,” Flynn explained. “My girl has a big problem. Maybe you can help, she’s in love with a ghost,” Flynn accused a smile breaking out on her face. 

“Ah so we are talking about Luke then,” Alex commented and then held a hand up as Julie reached out to smack him. “Hey it's not my fault you guys are both obvious and oblivious at the same time.” he shrugged. 

“I know right it's so annoying,” Flynn commented. Alex realizes first what's happening.

“I'm visible and I'm not touching Julie,” he exclaimed, holding up both his hands to show her. 

"We were right," Flynn sounded excited. "About the being, visible thing taking the time and about the veil thing," Flynn elaborated. 

"How did you do it?" Julie asked Alex.

"I didn't do it on purpose I kinda just wished to be part of the conversation and boom I'm visible," he smiled.

"Oh the boys are gonna be so mad they missed this," Flynn laughed. 

"Try going invisible again?" Julie suggested. 

Alex thought for a moment about being invisible and Flynn gasped when he went invisible.

"Yes," she cheered. "This is awesome. I mean obviously, we have to run some serious tests but for now back to girl's night." Flynn said forcibly taking Julie's hand to start working on her nails. 

"He's not just cute air anymore," Julie argued.

"Still not the point," Flynn responded. 

They talked about the girl's stuff and Luke for a while. Alex found he was actually quite enjoying himself. He missed talking about boys with his older sister. He didn't realize how much he missed it until tonight.

"You have been starring at that bottle for like 5 minutes, do you want your nails done too?" Flynn asked him. 

"Maybe," he sighed, he hated this part. "If it's OK, my parents always yelled at me when I let my little sisters paint them." He admitted. 

"Pick a color," Flynn said, passing him the box. He was surprised by how cool she was with that. 

"I do miss it though, I miss a lot of what we have done tonight," he admitted, looking through the box. "I had, well, I guess have, I assume they are still alive, an older brother and an older sister, my older sister always talked about boys with me because our next younger sister was 6 years younger than her. And my youngest sisters always used me as their playmate when they wanted to test out their new nail polish and makeup," he sighed again, he hadn't talked about his life with Julie before. He found a pale pink color that matched his hoodie and handed it to Flynn. 

"That must have been hard, parents who didn't approve but sisters who were willing to do all that stuff with you," Flynn commented. 

"It was harder after our fight when I wasn't allowed to be alone with them anymore," he said. Flynn finished Julie's nails, she had painted them black with little white skulls on them. They drifted into an awkward silence now as Flynn started on his nails. Flynn didn't want to ask and make him uncomfortable, and Alex was already uncomfortable. He realized he had said too much and it was gonna be uncomfortable unless he told her, but he was afraid it would be more uncomfortable if he did. He saw Flynn's hands then and attempted to change the subject.

"That's a nice pattern," he commented, each nail was pink and purple and blue striped.

"Thanks," she said. "It's the bi pride flag," she informed him. He looked shocked. 

"Are you?" He asked. Flynn nodded.

"What about it?" She shrugged like it was the most normal thing on the planet.

"And you're open about people are ok with it?" He asked.

"A lot of people are yeah," Flynn said, adding the last coat of polish to one of his nails. 

Julie just smiled, she had not known how to breach the subject with Alex, but here was Flynn painting his nails and getting him to open up. If she wasn't so thankful she might be a little jealous.

"It's like totally cool now I'm pretty sure over half our class is on the spectrum somewhere," she shrugged.

"There a spectrum?" Alex asked. 

"You really haven't told him anything?" Flynn looked at Julie accusingly for the second time that night. Julie looked ashamed but didn't say anything. "Oh, honey let me explain everything." Flynn sighed. Alex settled in, he really wanted to hear this, one of the things that had made him most anxious in life had been his sexuality. If he could stop worrying about that he would be really happy. 

When he poofed back into the studio two hours later his vocabulary updated his nails freshly painted and the promise that he was officially always invited to girl's night and next time they would watch some pride movies. He couldn't help but smile.

This chapter got really long so I split it in two sorry. More massive headcanons of course. I had to do a bit of resJulies birthday, Yay or is it? 

On the 28th of October, the boys had hung a calendar up so they could keep track, Flynn marched into the studio carrying some signs. 

“Do something if you are all in here,” she demanded. Reggie held up a throw pillow. Luke and Alex did the same. “Great good I needed to talk to you without Julie around,” she started laying out her signs. One had a surprised face and then there was a smiley face, a kinda confused face, a thumbs-up, and a thumbs down. “This is for your reactions,” she explained. The boys nodded even though she couldn't see them.

“As you know it's Julie's birthday in a couple of days,” she wasn't surprised when the thumbs down floated into the air indicating they had not known that. “Actually I'm not surprised that she didn't tell you, she doesn't like her birthday, but she's turning 17 and she didn't celebrate her sweet 16 last year so we are gonna do something about it.” she looked proud like she had come up with a brilliant plan. The boys held up the confused face.

“Is that really a good idea if she doesn't like her birthday?” Alex asked

“Better question why doesn't she like her birthday,” Luke added. Again not that Flynn could hear them. Reggie looked around the room for a pen or a marker or something finally landing on one sitting on the coffee table in the living area. He quickly scrawled out on the back of the surprising sign. ‘Is that good idea, why?’ he hoped it got the message across as he handed it to Flynn.

“She didn't celebrate last year because her mom had just died, I'm not sure she wants to celebrate this year either honestly but I think if we just did something small she would be ok, I didn't mean a big party I just meant we aren't gonna let her mope around all day. It's on Saturday,” she finished waiting for their reply. Alex held up the thumbs up indicating they understood and Reggie held up the smiley face meaning they agreed.

“Isn't Saturday Halloween?” Luke asked the guys.

“It is,” Alex agreed with a look at the calendar. Reggie held up the surprised face and then wrote on the back ‘Halloween seriously?’ before showing it to Flynn 

“She can see ghosts and her birthday is on Halloween, that's ironic,” Alex realized.

“She can see us. We don't know if she can see all ghosts, we would if you ever brought Willie around to meet her,” Reggie said. 

“Come on man we don't know if that's safe,” Alex argued. They dropped the conversation when Flynn started speaking again.

“Yes her birthday is on Halloween, it's not that big of a deal she celebrates Dia de Los Muertos more so than Halloween anyway,” Flynn shrugged like it wasn't weird.

“Luke, get me a piece of paper, these signs are useless,” Alex requested. Luke ripped one from his new notebook Julie had gotten him and handed it to Alex and Reggie gave him the pen. Flynn waited patiently for their comments. 

‘Sees ghosts born on Halloween’ Alex wrote first. “Ironic right?’ he wrote after a moment. ‘Also what is that?’ he asked. He had no idea what she had said so he didn't even try to spell it. He showed the paper to Flynn.

“Huh, is kinda Ironic,” she shrugged. “Like I said I had never thought about it, it would be more ironic if she was born on Dia de Los Muertos,” Flynn said. “You might understand it better in English we call it the Day of the Dead. It's a remembrance holiday for those who have died. I'm surprised you don't know about it.” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “Ask Julie about it. I don't know that much about it other than we always paint our faces and eat amazing food and that they go to the cemetery after,” Flynn shrugged. “It's on Sunday and Monday this year, it's called the day of the dead but it actually takes place over two days,” she said. “Ok enough of that like I said ask Julie about it,” she said

“I don't know if I wanna ask her, I don't wanna make her sad,” Reggie said to the boys.

“Anyway like I said her birthday is on Saturday, she's spending the night at my house. My mom is working, and we were gonna eat a load of junk food and watch movies. You're welcome to join.” she explained. Alex held up the smiley face and the thumbs up again and Flynn collected the signs just in time for Julie to arrive for band practice. 

*Saturday*

Even though they could have poofed there the boys all pile into the back of Flynn’s car Julie doesn't seem surprised she just rolls her eyes and smiles at them. They spend the evening doing exactly what Flynn said Eating junk food and watching movies. Stopping occasionally to give candy to trick or treaters. The boys joined in with the snacking the best they could. They also ended up in a cuddle pile Flynn laughed when all of sudden the three boys became visible and they were all curled up around Julie like puppies. Julie had her back leaning against the couch Luke and Alex were draped across her sides, and Reggie lay across her legs. They watched a couple of movies they were still trying to get the boys caught up on pop culture. It didn't help that the boys could not sit still like at all. So after two movies, everyone was getting fidgety. 

“What do we wanna do now?” Flynn asked when she got tired of the boys, constant fidgeting. 

“Well my nails are a mess you could help me do them for Dia de Los Muertos tomorrow,” Julie told her best friend. “Boys of course don't have to stick around that might be boring for you,” she shrugged. She really wanted to chat with Flynn about Luke after their latest performance. They had played the Halloween dance at her school the night before, and tonight she was going crazy and really needed girls, talk. Girl's talk would be much easier if at least Luke left. 

“Flynn mentioned the Day of the Dead the other day,” Reggie said using the other name because he didn't want to mess up the pronunciation. “How does that work?” he asked. Flynn had gone upstairs to collect her extensive nail polish collection. 

“Well it's believed that one day a year the veil between the land of the dead and the land of the living is at its thinnest point and those who have already crossed over can return to earth to check on their families,” she explained as she began cleaning up the living room. “Usually you can't see them but they are there and you leave food and other gifts for them as well as their pictures on something called an Ofrenda. You can help me and my dad set it up tomorrow if you want,” she offered. “It's a day of remembrance so we are gonna make my moms Tamales and then go visit the cemetery,” she explained it was still hard to talk about her mom, but she wanted to share with the boys. “I have never seen ghosts before you guys if your wondering, even at Dia de Los Muertos so I'm not expecting to see her but I wish I could.” she wipes a stray tear from her eye.

“We didn't mean to make you cry,” Alex smiled and offered her a hug. 

“No, it's ok.” she smiled too and hugged Alex. 

“That sounds fun, I wonder if we will be able to see all the ghosts hanging around?” Reggie wondered out loud. Julie laughs she smiling now that's a good sign.

“I never thought of it that way but maybe,” she agreed. “Your anchor to the world of the living will probably be stronger too,” Julie realized. 

Flynn came back with a giant box of nail polish and Reggie and Luke left. Alex stuck around to watch for a bit if he got bored of course he would be quick to leave. 

“I know what's code for Girl talk when I hear it. What's up?” Flynn asked. Getting out a few bottles and some q-tips so she could take off Julies currently flaking nail polish. Alex looked intrigued.

“Just so you know Alex is still hanging around but that's ok,” Julie told Flynn.

“Ok then,” Flynn shrugged. “Alex you get to be our middle man,” Flynn explained. “My girl has a big problem. Maybe you can help, she’s in love with a ghost,” Flynn accused a smile breaking out on her face. 

“Ah so we are talking about Luke then,” Alex commented and then held a hand up as Julie reached out to smack him. “Hey it's not my fault you guys are both obvious and oblivious at the same time.” he shrugged. 

“I know right it's so annoying,” Flynn commented. Alex realizes first what's happening.

“I'm visible and I'm not touching Julie,” he exclaimed, holding up both his hands to show her. 

"We were right," Flynn sounded excited. "About the being, visible thing taking the time and about the veil thing," Flynn elaborated. 

"How did you do it?" Julie asked Alex.

"I didn't do it on purpose I kinda just wished to be part of the conversation and boom I'm visible," he smiled.

"Oh the boys are gonna be so mad they missed this," Flynn laughed. 

"Try going invisible again?" Julie suggested. 

Alex thought for a moment about being invisible and Flynn gasped when he went invisible.

"Yes," she cheered. "This is awesome. I mean obviously, we have to run some serious tests but for now back to girl's night." Flynn said forcibly taking Julie's hand to start working on her nails. 

"He's not just cute air anymore," Julie argued.

"Still not the point," Flynn responded. 

They talked about the girl's stuff and Luke for a while. Alex found he was actually quite enjoying himself. He missed talking about boys with his older sister. He didn't realize how much he missed it until tonight.

"You have been starring at that bottle for like 5 minutes, do you want your nails done too?" Flynn asked him. 

"Maybe," he sighed, he hated this part. "If it's OK, my parents always yelled at me when I let my little sisters paint them." He admitted. 

"Pick a color," Flynn said, passing him the box. He was surprised by how cool she was with that. 

"I do miss it though, I miss a lot of what we have done tonight," he admitted, looking through the box. "I had, well, I guess have, I assume they are still alive, an older brother and an older sister, my older sister always talked about boys with me because our next younger sister was 6 years younger than her. And my youngest sisters always used me as their playmate when they wanted to test out their new nail polish and makeup," he sighed again, he hadn't talked about his life with Julie before. He found a pale pink color that matched his hoodie and handed it to Flynn. 

"That must have been hard, parents who didn't approve but sisters who were willing to do all that stuff with you," Flynn commented. 

"It was harder after our fight when I wasn't allowed to be alone with them anymore," he said. Flynn finished Julie's nails, she had painted them black with little white skulls on them. They drifted into an awkward silence now as Flynn started on his nails. Flynn didn't want to ask and make him uncomfortable, and Alex was already uncomfortable. He realized he had said too much and it was gonna be uncomfortable unless he told her, but he was afraid it would be more uncomfortable if he did. He saw Flynn's hands then and attempted to change the subject.

"That's a nice pattern," he commented, each nail was pink and purple and blue striped.

"Thanks," she said. "It's the bi pride flag," she informed him. He looked shocked. 

"Are you?" He asked. Flynn nodded.

"What about it?" She shrugged like it was the most normal thing on the planet.

"And you're open about people are ok with it?" He asked.

"A lot of people are yeah," Flynn said, adding the last coat of polish to one of his nails. 

Julie just smiled, she had not known how to breach the subject with Alex, but here was Flynn painting his nails and getting him to open up. If she wasn't so thankful she might be a little jealous.

"It's like totally cool now I'm pretty sure over half our class is on the spectrum somewhere," she shrugged.

"There a spectrum?" Alex asked. 

"You really haven't told him anything?" Flynn looked at Julie accusingly for the second time that night. Julie looked ashamed but didn't say anything. "Oh, honey let me explain everything." Flynn sighed. Alex settled in, he really wanted to hear this, one of the things that had made him most anxious in life had been his sexuality. If he could stop worrying about that he would be really happy. 

When he poofed back into the studio two hours later his vocabulary updated his nails freshly painted and the promise that he was officially always invited to girl's night and next time they would watch some pride movies. He couldn't help but smile.

This chapter got really long so I split it in two sorry. More massive headcanons of course. I had to do a bit of research for this chapter. Hopefully, my information is accurate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got really long so I split it in two sorry. More massive headcanons of course. I had to do a bit of research for this chapter. Hopefully, my information is accurate. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie's birthday/Halloween/day of the dead part 2

Alex poofed back into the studio Reggie and Luke were already curled up in the Loft instead of joining their puppy pile looking thing on the mattress he flopped himself down on the couch that was up there. He liked their new space, Ray had gone all out. He had bought like three more couches for the studio and installed the sound proofings, although the second one was more to his advantage. The boys didn't need to sleep but they found sleep came easier than it had when they first showed up, they could go to bed at night and fall asleep and sleep 8 hours and wake up in the morning. Luke was especially thankful for the ability to sleep he had always had trouble sleeping before they died. Alex was just thankful for some, what human-like normalcy. 

***The Next Day***

Reggie was actually the first up; he had always been an annoyingly early riser when they were alive and apparently that transitioned into death too. Ray had made pancakes and he was excited. Alex had forgotten all about what had happened last night with Flynn in the partial wakefulness that was breakfast. So when Julie got home and all three guys phased into existence it didn't startle only Ray, who by the way spilled coffee on himself. Reggie cheered, happy Ray and Carlos could see him even if he had scared the Heck out of Ray. Julie just waved at them when she came in and they waved back and that's when Carlos and Ray could see them. 

"Oh so this is still happening that's nice," Flynn said waving to Ray who was luckily covered in cold coffee, not hot coffee. Julie just looked at her with the best face of annoyance Alex had ever seen. 

"This happened last night," she explained. "With Alex, he stuck around for a bit we are chatting and suddenly poof visible to Flynn from where he's sitting a few feet away from me," Julie explained.

"We're gonna run some tests today," Alex recalled.

"Add to our rule book," Julie agreed. They spent a few hours testing the distance from Julie they could be. Then Julie brought them back inside where her dad was already setting up the  Ofrenda. The boys were surprised to see a few older looking ghosts hanging around already around it was only 2 pm. Reggie walked up to one and said Hi. The ghosts they saw were different from them, they gave off a glow similar to that of the boys when Julie broke Caleb's curse. The boys hoped to get some answers but they didn't have much luck communicating with the other Ghosts. Even when the boys made themselves invisible, not solid whatever they still walked right thru the other ghosts. But the other ghosts remained silent, less tangible to the world of the living. Luke theorized that because their connection was growing stronger it prevented them from communicating with those who had already moved on. Or maybe they couldn't communicate with them regardless. They didn't see everyone who was on the Ofrenda either, Julie's mom was among the missing but they didn't tell Julie that and she didn't ask. They wondered where she could be that wasn't here. The boys quickly got annoyed at constantly walking, threw the silent dead. So they disappeared into the studio for the rest of the night.

The night wasn't completely lost though Julie spent some time finishing the song from her daydream. The last line had come to her earlier in the day while they were practicing. She had been up till 2 am working on it with Flynn. She padded out to the garage around 8 that night, her family would be up till the wee hours with the festivities but they had just returned from the cemetery and Julie could really use her boys. She stepped in and she smiled when she saw them gathered around the living room playing a board game. She had changed into some comfy clothes, some leggings, and an oversized sweatshirt. She curled up on one side of the couch against Luke because Reggie and Alex had taken the other one. She tucked her legs into her sweater as he wrapped an arm around her. 

Julie didn't notice but Luke was panicking. He looked at the boys for help but they just smirked at him. No matter how much he wanted to be hadn't been this close to her since their first hug unless it has been all of them cuddled together. 

"What's up?" He asked her holding her close, that was clearly what she needed, even if he wasn't good with emotions he could tell that. He was also trying not to smile when he realized she had come to him for comfort.

"Mmm tired," she murmured. The sun was setting outside. "Was up till 2 or 3 with Flynn this morning then had, big day," she yawned, and he stopped himself from ruffling her hair. Although he really wanted to run, his hands threw her curls. "People, still partying in the house too loud," she murmured again, getting comfier against his side.

"Alright you rest then Jules we will try to keep it down," he assured her. It was only a few moments of silence when he felt her breath even out he waited a few more moments after that before shooting the guys a thumbs up that she was asleep.

"You are so, whipped man," Alex whisper laughed at him. 

"So what if I am," he snarked back quietly. Julie shifted against him trying to burrow deeper into his flannel. "Reg you mind getting a blanket, I'm pretty sure ghosts don't give off the most body heat," he chuckled lightly. Reggie poofed up to the loft bringing back down a quilt, Alex continued to laugh quietly. "I really need to tell her how I feel don't I?" Luke sighed. 

"Yes absolutely dude get it over with," Reggie exclaimed before being shushed by Alex. Thankfully Julie didn't even stir.

  
  


***Earlier in the night***

Julie's dad stopped the car at the cemetery 

"You don't have to come," he reminded her for the hundredth time. Julie shook her head.

"I'm gonna see if I can find the boy's graves and if I'm gonna do that I need to see her too it's only fair." She sighed. She had gotten the approximate location of the graves from Trevor. She knew she probably should have let the boys know where she was going but she wanted to see how bad it was beforehand, she didn't want them to see their graves if they were as bad as Trevor said.

She decided to work her way from back to front starting with Alex's grave. It was easy to find the big family plot labeled Mercer. Less easy to find Alex's grave once she got there. It was a tiny piece of stone set into the ground. All it had was his name and his date of birth, she noted his birthday, he was the oldest She realized. He had been born in August he was only a couple of weeks from being 18, and death on it. Underneath there was one phrase that she knew Alex would hate. 

'May God's light shine upon you.' She knew it was a common phrase for graves but for Alex it would mean his parents had won. It wasn't that he didn't believe in God, he had been raised in the church, he had seen things happen, no one could explain. But when his parents used God against him when he came out to them he had lost all respect for the church. She silently left the old drumsticks that she had painted pink next to the grave where they wouldn't be blown away by the wind. Then she went in search of Reggie's grave, it would be the hardest to find Trevor had told her. But thankfully he had given her good directions. The centermost road near the oak tree 6 or 7 plots over. It was even smaller than Alex's but there were some wilting flowers next to it hinting that someone at least had been here a few weeks ago. It said Reginald which she knew he would hate, only Alex was allowed to call him that as a joke. He hated his full name. She noted it also has the last name, Peters. Other than that she didn't see much wrong with it. Until she spied the chipped piece on the side of the gravestone, clearly someone in anger. She would guess Reggie's dad from what she knew about his home life. Had tried to break it or broken it accidentally she didn't know which. All she could think was it must have been painful for whoever did it. And then she couldn't help but laugh. She hoped Reggie would find it funny too. She left a guitar pick, noted that it was his birthday in March, and turned to go. She went looking for Luke's grave last, then she would meet her dad and brother at her mother's grave. Julie walked away. Fingering the last guitar pick and the crumbled song lyrics in her pocket. Still keeping a tight grip on the single Dahlia in her other hand.

Luke's grave was right near the front, it at least stood upright, it was easier to find. It has his name and his date of birth which she has already known from his birthday a few weeks ago, and his date of death. There were fresh flowers on it, the Patterson's had clearly been here just a few days ago, so she knew she wouldn't run into them. The grave was the only good one of them so far, the grave was well kept and the engraving was the normal loving son and to her surprises at the very bottom, it said, brother. She smiled, at least someone else realized how close the boys were. She smiled before she realized how ridiculous her being here was and she started to laugh. Luke was literally at her house visiting his grave seemed stupid she gently laid the pick on the grave and turned back towards the other corner of the cemetery where her dad and brother were. 

They were already waiting by the car when she arrived. 

"Sorry," she apologized as she walked past them towards her mother's grave, at least she would have some privacy. She rubbed her eyes coming away stained black from her makeup and sighed flopping down in front of her mom's grave a good 100 feet from the car. She had only been to visit a few times since she died last year, and not since the boys showed up.

“Hey mom,” she sighed, she really didn't want to cry again tonight. She didn't even know why she had cried at Alex and Reggie’s graves like at Luke's. It made no sense to cry when they were at home in their studio right where they belonged. She lay down the single dahlia beside the ones her father and brother had set down. “I'm pretty sure by now that you sent the boys, and even if you didn't, you probably know all about them, I know you have been watching, the signs are there you can thank Flynn, she figured it out first. We have helped each other so much, thank you so much mom you knew how much I needed them, and how much they needed me,” she was crying but that was ok. She sniffed a few times composing herself, “if you were still here we would talk about Luke and how nice he is so I’m gonna talk about him,” she informed the grave, a breeze blew past her as if something was acknowledging her or telling her to continue. 

“I think I really like him, mom,” she laughed, “You were never shy in telling me about you and Papi, and the way Luke makes me feel, he was the most annoying person when he first showed up, but mom he makes me laugh and we understand each other so well.” She was crying a bit again so she took a moment to take a few deep breaths, “I don't know why I'm crying so much tonight, I should be happy I have my boys, Alex and Reggie are like brothers to me, and Luke well I already told you about Luke.” she was smiling now just thinking about him. “You always taught me to talk about my feelings as stupid as it sounded at the time it makes sense I wrote him a song mom,” she explained pulling the crumpled piece of notebook paper out of her pocket finally. “I have felt so much closer to you since the boys showed up, I still miss you and I think I always will, but somehow it hurts less. I know it's supposed to happen like this, it's how mourning works but I still feel bad.” she took a few more deep breaths. The wind blew past her again a few strands of hair tucked themselves behind her ear, if she hadn't been so used to the supernatural by now she probably would have jumped. She probably should have jumped but this force didn't scare her, she felt safe. She couldn't help but let out a fresh sob though, “I knew I wouldn't be able to see you like the boys but I still hoped I could.” she wipes her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that night. “I'm gonna go now but I’m gonna make sure to come back soon,” she promised, the wind blew past her gently one last time. She got in the car.

Her dad didn't ask if she was ok. He knew the answer was no. but he had a feeling she would be ok in the morning. There were a handful of family members at their house and he knew when they got home there would be more dancing and eating so he wasn't surprised when she disappeared upstairs probably for the night, he just hoped the music didn't keep her up.

Julie went upstairs to wash her face, she didn't bother to re-apply the makeup. She went into her room to change and there sitting on her dresser was one of her butterfly clips. She thought she had run out of tears after the cemetery but apparently not she clutched the clip to her chest and sank to the ground sobbing again she could almost hear her mother's voice. 

_ “Don’t cry mi mariposa, it's gonna be ok. You will be ok.”  _ It was a memory from when her mother had been in the hospital the last time before she died, but it felt like she was really there. She wiped her eyes and finished changing, she knew what would make her feel better. She wandered out to the studio, she needed her boys. She knew she would feel better in the morning. She was tired, emotionally spent, and physically exhausted from staying up way too late with Flynn. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys I’m really sorry I didn't mean to make this chapter so emotional, I originally had her run into Reggie's mom at the cemetery but I had to scrap it cause it kinda fell apart in future chapters.  
> Translation  
> mi mariposa: my butterfly. It's just another one of my headcanons about why Julie likes butterflies so much.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed the next up is finally Nick and Caleb because I finally figured out what I wanna do with them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This will be the one and only Caleb chapter No spoilers, but a trigger warning for some Minor violence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its late I totally forgot yesterday

Caleb walked the teenager down the street and back to where his mom was waiting in the car, was this really the best he could do. Posses a 16-year-old kid who couldn't even drive himself to bring flowers to a girl who he had unrequited feelings for. But he hoped this would at least help him get close to the boys he knew that Julie was very important to them, she was the reason he lost his control over them. His new plan though he was officially in it for the long hall. He knew leaving the club for so long was risky but what could he say life was a risk and he was willing to take it. Damit and those stupid songs they must have been stuck in Nick's head because now they were stuck in his head.

“How did it go dear?” the sweet woman that was his mother asked.

“Oh um, it went ok, she said thank you,” he mumbled out, ripping himself away from his thought long enough to answer the women. He was an actor, a performer the only way he was gonna be able to do this was if he could act like this Nick guy. He had done a bit of reconnaissance beforehand thankfully. He planned to see how close he could get to Julie on Monday until then he was gonna be subjected to family dinner and a makeover from the teen's stupid little sister. But like he said worth it. He was upset to find he only had music class with Julie, he could have sworn they shared a dance class. He was more upset to see that Julie was mostly avoiding Nick. She must have been trying to prevent awkward conversations with him. He was being literally tortured by Nick's sister. It turned out he spent a lot and I mean a lot of time hanging out with his sister. By the time Halloween rolled around that Saturday, he had been subjected to three princess dance parties, two tea parties, and 4 makeovers. Nick's parents had tasked him with taking her trick or treating, and Caleb had no wish for more torture so he left the boy's body temporarily, the boy would foggily remember the basics of the last few days, but he wouldn't remember Caleb or being possessed. 

Caleb also couldn't miss Halloween at the club. It was the most powerful day of the year, with a massive Halloween party and hundreds of guests both living and dead. He spent the day of Halloween catching up on everything he had missed, while he possessed the boy. He hadn't missed much ever since everyone at his club had witnessed him losing the good entertainment business had been down. He knew things were not going good for him too much longer like this and he would be getting a visit from the council. They would not be happy with him. Not only was he miss using his power but business was down, if business was down and people stopped enjoying themselves and coming to the clubs all around the world, then they lost their power. He figured he had a few days though because they had so many more important things to do on all Hallows eve. 

When Caleb had died in the 1930s during a trick he had spent six antagonizing weeks, trying to figure out what was going on before he had stumbled upon the Hollywood Ghost Club, and the Manger offered him a deal. He took it eager for any grip of power he could get. He had only met the council once and they scared him, they were probably the only beings in existence that did. 

He didn't know what he was gonna do. He was so sure his plan would work, but he was running out of time. He spent the night dancing and singing at the club and god did he need it after a week as a teenage boy. They danced and sang into the wee hours of the morning, he needed Nick awake to possess him and to his disappointment, the kid had stayed up till 4 am with his little sister until they both crashed from sugar, and he remained asleep all day. So he spent the day once again at the club. It was boring there during the day. It was 2 pm before he thought about checking on the kid again. He was not expecting a Female ghost with olive skin and bouncy dark brown curls to poof into his office and deck him. 

“I have been waiting 3 weeks to do that,” she informed him. He had fallen backward over the desk and was still recovering from the sudden attack, that he wasn't able to prevent her from flipping him into the floor. And kicking him in his nonexistent stomach and kidneys. It still hurt though.

"That is for messing with my family," she informed him when he looked up at her. He was panting and in pain and he had no idea who this lady was only that she was terrifying. 

"Who?" He managed to ask. He pissed a lot of people off, it had to have been something he did recently though because she said she had only been waiting three weeks to deck him. He knew people who had been waiting a lot longer. Why she had been waiting if she actually intended to do it was another pressing question. Until he saw her glowing skin and realized she had already crossed over and was only back for one night. He hadn't lied to the boys necessarily when he said that they didn't really know what happened when you crossed over. He did know something though he knew ghosts who had crossed over could only return one night a year and only under certain circumstances. 

"My Julie and her boys you will regret messing with my kids I tell you," she informed him, giving him another kick to keep him down.

Rose had been watching the boys for a while after she died before she sent them back to earth. It had taken a while to get permission from the council after she had found them just kinda sitting in limbo in a dark room. For them it had only been a few minutes time moves differently in death it could be years for one ghost and minutes for another. So she had watched them for what had been months for her but only hours for them. All they did was huddle together, cry, and occasionally talk about their lives, but in those short months. She had taken them as her own in the soul. Similar to how her Ray had down back on earth. She was so proud of her family they were doing so well. But Julie needed a little more help she had known when she died Julie would need a little more help. So she asked the council about the three boys still sitting in limbo who had died 25 years ago. It took a few months but they agreed to send the boys back to earth to help Julie. The boys didn't have any unfinished business, they were just stuck in limbo until their friend who was still alive joined them. She remembered meeting the boys the night they died, and she knew what Bobby had done, she knew sending them back to earth would be risky. She hoped Julie would be able to keep them in check. She had not been expecting the pesky interference of one Caleb Covington though.

"The council is always watching," she tisked at Caleb. Suddenly he was surrounded by his worst nightmare, the council. They were like this group of really powerful ghosts who had died like a billion years ago. One legend said they were some of the first people to ever die in some of the biblical texts, like Adam and Eve and Abel. He didn't really know all he knew is they had all the power. Rose was gone then and he was stuck with the council.

"You Caleb Covington have broken a sacred rule among our kind you have harmed a human, you are therefore sentenced to banishment," those were the last words he heard as he felt himself disintegrating into tiny particles.

Rose smiled to herself glad Caleb had gotten what he deserved she knew she didn't have much time left only till the stroke of midnight, and right now she knew Julie was at the Cemetery. She joined her there, she wanted to see her family, she wished she could tell her that everything was OK now that Caleb was gone. Not that they had been super worried about Caleb she realized they had been focused on other things this past week. She had done her duty Julie would be just fine without her now, especially as she anchored the boys more to the world of the living by the day. She knew it would be a disaster when they realized what was happening but honestly, she was gonna have fun laughing at them when they did. She decided to leave Julie one last token, a goodbye if you will. Julie's strong emotional reaction to the butterfly clip was just enough to anchor her to the world long enough to whisper one phrase in her daughter's ear. It's the same sentence she has whispered to her as she lay dying. 

“Don’t cry mi mariposa, it's gonna be ok. You will be ok.” and she meant it too. She was gonna be fine. 

Rose spent the rest of the night following her Ray and Carlos about for a bit checking on them. She was glad to see they were doing OK. Around 11:30 she phased through the wall into her old studio, the boys were dozing a bit on the couch. Julie was out cold across Luke's chest and she smiled at the pair, unlike Flynn she didn't care that he was dead. She didn't see that as an issue, and she wasn't worried like Ray. She whole-heartedly approved of the two, she knew no one else on earth would ever understand her or support her or frustrate her quite as Luke did. 

Alex was the first to notice her from where he sat on the floor, his neck bent back against the couch and his head resting on Julie's ankles. He looked at her and nodded his head towards Julie as if asking if he should wake her up. Rose shook her head and held up a finger to her lips before gesturing at Reggie and Luke. Luke was almost completely passed out with the goofiest grin on his face. Reggie was half-awake still across the other sofa doodling in the songbook Julie had bought him. She had originally only bought Luke one since he was the main writer but had quickly realized the other boys liked to doodle and write too so she had gotten them each and herself one. Alex spoke in hushed whispers that she could barely hear as her connection to this world weakens. Reggie glances in her direction and smiles at her, she smiles back, the energetic bassist is her favorite of them all. She gestures for the paper and pen knowing they won't be able to hear her if she talks and that it will take all her strength to hold the pen but it's worth it. He passes it to her surprise that she can hold it after how the other ghosts were today. She manages to get the three important lines down before the notebook falls from her hands and she feels herself fade from this world.

_ 'Don't worry about Caleb' _

_ 'Take care of her'  _ And

_ 'Enjoy earth'  _

_ S _ he knows she won't see them for another year and she wishes she had more time but she's glad she was able to do what she could when she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the end for now what did you guys think? I tried to think of something original for the whole afterlife thing. Also, I just realized this kinda became a 'Rose being a badass' chapter more than a Caleb chapter, Anyway next up Julie takes them all to their graves and they run into some family.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I left some loose ends in the last chapter so I really needed one more filler chapter before the time skip.

Rose faded from view, the notebook dropped to the ground. Alex reached to pick it up.

"What do you think that means?" He asked pointing, to the first line.

"I don't know maybe it has something to do with where she has been all day," Luke suggested sleepily. 

"Did you actually read the line?" Reggie asked him.

"Nope can't see it from here," he yawned, stretching, as he moved Julie shifted following his barely there body heat. Alex tossed the notebook at him, it was clear after earlier if Julie wasn't gonna wake up from a little shifting about if she wasn't gonna wake up at Reggie yelling. He caught it with practiced ease they were used to throwing things about. He read the lines out loud.

"Don't worry about Caleb, take care of her, enjoy earth?" He said questioningly. "I'm more curious about the last sentence than worried about the first and the middle one is self-explanatory," he joked.

"Why does all this ghost stuff have to be so confusing?" Alex asked. Reggie snatched his notebook back and ripped out the page, laying it on the coffee table before collapsing back onto the couch. 

"I'm tired," he complained, "You have your panic thingy, but keep it down," Reggie informed him. 

"Did you just say you're tired like physically tired?" Luke asked him in the process of waking up. "Not just wishing you could sleep but actually tired?" He repeated.

"Yeah what about it?" Reggie asked. 

"So what I was tired, this morning, why do you think I didn't say anything about the whole solid without touching Julie, thing?" Alex asked.

"If you actually feel tired that makes it a need, a human need," Luke explains. 

"Uhg can we panic tomorrow?" A very tired voice asked.

"Sorry Jules didn't mean to wake you we will talk in the morning," Luke promised. She rolled over and snuggled back into Luke's side. He didn't think she would even remember this conversation in the morning. The boys made themselves comfy and went to sleep.

The party had ended inside and Ray had gone to check on Julie, when he didn't find her in her room he wandered down to the studio he peeked through the crack in the door and just smiled when he saw her passed out on the couch the boys were strewn about the living area, she was snuggled against Luke under a quilt. He turned out the lights and went back into the house. 

***The next morning***

The sunlight woke Julie up, she didn't want to get up but she knew it was Monday and she had school.

'this pillow is comfy' she thought. She heard a yawn behind her and finally registered where she was. She was on the couch in the studio laid against Luke's chest. She blinked rapidly a few times and noticed the other boys strewn about the living area. She sat up properly and stretched. She pulled her phone out of her hoodie pocket. 

'7:45' time to get up she sighed. 

"Good morning," was whispered into her hair behind her as Luke sat up wrapping his arms around her like a teddy bear. She blushed deeply but settled back into his arms slightly. She waited the 5 minutes for her alarm to go off almost asleep again by the time it did. 

"Mmmm don't go you're warm," Luke complained sleepily. 

"I have to go, I have to get ready for school," she reminded him.

"No." He pouted but released his grip. So she could get up. It only took a few minutes for him to fully wake up once she was gone. She noticed the note on the table and was reading it.

"What's this?" She asked him since he was the only one awake.

"Ask Alex he was actually awake when it happened," he told her, folding the blanket. Her mom visiting them was fuzzy in his mind, and he really didn't understand it. So Julie went to shake the other boys awake. She gave Alex a few moments to wake up putting their board game away, even though the boys were perfectly capable of cleaning up after themselves and did most of the time, she didn't mind.

"What is this?" She asked after a moment. That's also when she was awake enough to remember going to the cemetery.

"Oh um," Alex stuttered off.

"Oh your mom was in here she couldn't talk to us but she left the note," Reggie explained cheerfully. Like it was the most normal thing in the world. "We don't know what it means yet but we will figure it out," he promised. 

"Well it's kinda obvious what it means," she said. "It means we don't have to worry about Caleb anymore, why is, the issue but honestly I don't care why only that you guys are safe. That she thinks we are doing a good job asking you to take care of me is like saying she approves of you, she trusts you with me," she explained. "I would hope she would if she sent you guys," she added. "The last part is just encouragement, you know enjoy earth don't try and move on You're gonna be stuck here for a while," She sighed. "I'm guessing one last sign," she sniffled slightly. "I'm gonna go get ready for school, I will see you guys later." She didn't say this afternoon because then the boys would assume they weren't invited to the school, and honestly, she didn't mind them being there. Even if they liked to annoy, and distract her. She honestly did not mind it a lot of the time.

"We have to talk when I get back, nothing too serious, promise, but we do need to talk," she said. Alex looked worried. "It's really nothing serious, in fact, it's a really tiny thing, called, I might have gone to your graves." She blurted. "It was stupid and by the time I got to Luke's grave I couldn't help but laugh because I felt so silly when you guys were here in the studio." She explained. "But if you guys wanted to see them you know I can take you, I don't know if you do but if you did." She shook herself out of it. "I have to go get ready for school seriously," she said checking her phone again, 8:10 she was gonna be late. She raced out yelling behind her. "Think about it let me know."

"What was that?" That was all Alex could ask after she left.

"I think Julie needed a cup of coffee and was panicking at the same time." Luke declared. 

The boys did think about it and they decided that they would like to go at least for a little closure. Luke had kinda made up with his family or at least as much as a ghost who's also sometimes alive can. The boys being not dead but also not alive raised more questions than it answered and honestly they weren't willing to risk anyone else getting in on their secret yet. Alex wasn't sure he wanted to see his parents but he wouldn't mind seeing some of his siblings again. Reggie still really wanted to find his mom, he was worried about her after he found out his parents split. Julie wasn't super keen to go back to the cemetery she had just been at the day before but she had told the boys she would take them so she agreed they could go that afternoon. 

Julie hurried home from school, it was a Monday she hated Mondays, but she didn't have too much homework so that was nice. Her dad wasn't home from work yet and Carlos had gone to a friend's house after school so Julie didn't have to watch him. They walked to the cemetery because it wasn't that far, Julie brought some things for the graves so she didn't look weird. 

"Who's first?" She asked them, holding her phone to her ear standing outside the cemetery.

"I kinda wanna go last?" Alex said as if he was unsure "that way if I freak out I don't ruin the rest of the trip." He added, the boys went to correct him but Julie got there first.

"You can't possibly ruin this trip," she assured him. "Why don't we start front to back then?" She suggested. All three boys nodded. She took the lead the way into the cemetery keeping her phone at the ready even though the cemetery was mostly empty. She took a few turns and was soon at a corner plot in one of the front most sections of the Cemetery. She gestured in front of her for Luke to take a look. 

"They clearly come a lot," Reggie said looking at the grave, it was swept clean of leaves and the grass was trimmed neatly around it, and fresh flowers were sitting on it, and the guitar pick Julie had left the night before. 

"Yeah," Luke smiled sadly, for Luke things were the best at home if they had to pick one. So this was a bit easier for him. He knew his parents still loved him even if they fought he expected his grave to be a bit like this when he saw how they kept his room. 

"Take as long as you like the rest of us can move on," Alex suggested.

"Nah I'm good," he said then he spied the engraving at the bottom of the stone. "Look at this," he exclaimed pointing to it all the boys kneeled down to look at it. 

"Well they did get something right then we are brothers," Reggie claimed, slinging arms over both the other boy's shoulders. 

"That you definitely are, there is a saying I don't know if you have heard it but they say 'family doesn't have to be blood it can be the people you choose' and you guys have definitely chosen each other," she quoted, moving on towards the very center of the cemetery. Julie was upset to find that Reggie's grave wasn't any easier to find during the day than it had been last night. But eventually, she spotted the tree and led the boys right to it. 

Reggie took a minute, fingered the chipped piece, and noticed the dead but not totally disintegrated flowers. They all stayed silent, threw it all, and then he stood up and they moved on.

Finally, they arrived at Alex's Grave in the far back corner of his family plot.

"And here we are," Reggie said smiling sadly. "Honestly it could be worse?" He shrugged questioningly. "I mean they could have not buried you at all?" He asked again, trying to be comforting.

"That's true," Luke said, throwing a comforting arm around his shoulder. None of them saw the young blonde woman approaching the grave.

"Hello?" She spoke, all four turned to look at her although she could only see Julie. It only took Alex a second to recognize his sister who had only been 7 when he died.

"It's Cynthia," he managed before he had to take a few deep breaths to prevent himself from breaking down. Julie stopped herself from looking to the boys for context.

"His youngest sister," Reggie offered.

"Hi?" Julie said awkwardly. She noticed Cynthia carried a few pink roses. She stepped back from the grave. She didn't know how to explain to the adult women in front of her why she was here. 

"Were you a friend?" She asked gesturing to the grave then she got a good look at Julie "no you can't be your don't look more than 17 you would have to be closer to 40 no offense," she was rambling, Julie could definitely tell she was related to Alex.

"I live in the house where the band used to rehearse, I found a CD a few months ago, I'm kinda a big fan now." Julie sighed. "It turned out my mom was a really big fan as well. she actually met them, like right before they died, any way she actually died last year, but um I asked a mutual friend where the graves were." She sighed, her lie sounded bad to her but maybe that was just because she knew she was lying. "I know that kind of makes me sound like a creepy stalker but I just wanted to bring some things that would have meant a lot to them from the studio." She explained gesturing to the drum sticks that lay by the grave. 

"No, it's OK um I don't actually know much about him. I was really young when he passed away, and he had moved out a bit before that." She explained. 

"Right yeah there was a lot of stuff in the loft that belonged to the boys, a lot of clothes and things," Julie elaborated.

"My parents don't really talk about him," Cynthia admitted. "I know that they got in a big fight when he was 17 and he moved out. I kinda remember Him he was always really awesome to play with," Cynthia trailed off. "I'm sorry you're just some stranger come to pay your respects and here I am bombarding you," she sighed. 

"No no it's OK you have every right to feel however you feel," Julie said repeating the words she had said to Alex so many times. The boys had finally gotten Alex calm behind her and he poofed away, he was back a few moments later while Cynthia continued to talk about her life since apparently Julie was willing to listen and no one else was. She saw him slip something into her bag. The other boys were just kind of chilling and letting Julie handle the situation. Cynthia told her about her amazing husband and her two kids and Alex just listened on, in wonder, his baby sister married with kids. Julie noted her last name so she could hopefully find her on social media for Alex later. 

"I have actually been trying to track down some of the boy's family, they left somethings for their family to find but um I have," she dug through her bag till she found it. It was an envelope it looked, too new to be 25 years old but she hoped Cynthia didn't catch that. "Ah a letter I think I haven't opened it but it's labeled Family of Alex so you know I guess it's yours," Julie finished handing her the envelope

"Um thank you," Cynthia sighed, she left her flowers, took the envelope, and left. As soon as she was out of earshot Julie spoke. 

"What was in there?" She asked Alex. 

"The truth," he said firmly. "My parents probably didn't bother to tell my siblings about what happened, as evident by Cynthia's statement. So I wrote them each a letter I was gonna send them when each of my siblings turned 18 in the hopes of rekindling our relationship, but you know we kinda died so," he shrugged. "I never got a chance to send any of them." He was smiling a bit despite the overall weirdness of the day. From there they headed home. 

Julie looked up Cynthia on Facebook and then managed to find all but one of Alex's other siblings. She looked up Reggie's mom too but didn't have any luck, she suspected she changed her name, Reggie seemed disappointed but he didn't seem to lose hope, since she had clearly been at the cemetery recently. Things went on as normal for the band or as normal as they could for ghosts who were steadily becoming more connected to the world of the living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And end.  
> Yeah Alex has a lot of siblings all of his Family is listed in Chapter 2 of my Extra Info story.  
> I'm thinking of giving Reggie a couple of half-siblings but they won't have been born till after he died so we will see.  
> Also this is officially the end of Arc one look out for Arc 2 next week

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed This Chapter another one should be up soon.  
> Feel free to leave comments I would love to hear your feedback


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